Deerhoof Rescues Michael Shannon From Himself In 'Exit Only' Video

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014|

Posted by: Lily Trotta

If you don't know Michael Shannon, you should watch Boardwalk Empire, Revolutionary Road, or this Funny Or Die performance. If you don't know Deerhoof, you just should.
The San Francisco band has been self-producing records pretty steadily since 1994, including their latest, La Isla Bonita which was released on November 4. Their latest single is 'Exit Only,' for which a music video was released today starring Michael Shannon playing two versions of himself. While one uses loud music as a brutal torture tool, the other suffers powerlessly in what looks like an interrogation room. The torture persists until Deerhoof guitarist Ed Rodgriguez uses the sheer power of a guitar riff to rescue the latter Shannon from himself.

In spite of their long history as a band, 2014 has been a key year in Deerhoof's career. La Isla Bonita is their twelfth album, after all, and they've definitely become comfortable enough to blur the lines dividing genres. The album journeys between pop and punk. Rodriguez described making the album as an ongoing argument between trying to sound like Joan Jett or Janet Jackson. On 'Exit Only' they lean more toward Joan.